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Gokarna Mahaganapathi Temple

It looks like a small temple in the middle of the road… a
common sight across India. However, this is no ordinary temple, but has a
history going back centuries. This is the Mahaganapathy Temple at Gokarna.

In an era long before the events of the Ramayana took place,
Ravana, it is said, brought a lingam from Kailasa, the abode of Lord Shiva.
There are many stories regarding this Lingam. Some legends attribute it to
Ravana’s ardent penance, and insistence on cutting off his heads if Shiva did
not appear before him; while others say that Ravana wanted a special lingam for
his mother to pray to. No matter what the reason, Lord Shiva did indeed hand over
a special lingam to Ravana – the atmalingam – to take home to Lanka.

Lord Shiva may have been pleased with his devotee and the
lingam was a token of his appreciation, but, to the Gods, this was a sign of
danger. They feared that Ravana would soon grow invincible, and asked Ganesha
for help in stopping Ravana from taking the lingam to Lanka. Ganesha approached
Ravana in the guise of a young boy, while the Gods darkened the skies and
created the illusion of sunset. Ravana, being the devout believer in rituals,
realised he had to perform his evening rituals before sunset. He had been told
by Shiva not to place the lingam on the ground before reaching Lanka, so he
asked the young boy who appeared so obligingly, to hold the lingam while he
performed the rituals.

Even the dwarapalakas or door guardians are shown like standing Ganeshas.

The young boy agreed, but placed one condition – he would
only hold it for as long as he could. And then he would call out thrice. If
Ravana had not returned by then, he would place the lingam on the ground.
Ravana was in a quandary, but having little recourse, agreed, and started his
prayers. As if on cue, the young boy called out “The lingam is too heavy. I
cannot hold it any longer. Come and take it back!” Ravana panicked, but he had
already started his prayers. He signalled the boy to wait, and hurried on. To
his utter consternation, the boy called out once more, and then, immediately
after that, once more. Leaving his prayers unfinished, he ran, only to find the
boy keeping the lingam on the ground.

Leaving the boy for the moment, Ravana turned his attention
to the lingam, trying to pull it off the ground, but all his efforts were in
vain. The lingam seemed to have struck roots in the ground, and, though he
twisted and turned and pulled, it remained there forever. It was only when he
realised the futility of his actions that Ravana turned his attention to the
cause of the problem - the young boy. The
boy, sensing danger had begun to run, but Ravana caught up, and hit him on the
head. That’s when the boy revealed his true identity. Ravana was shocked that
the gods would play such a trick on him. However, it was too late to do anything,
and he gave up.

It is said that Ravana was the first to build a temple here
over the lingam which had fixed itself to the ground. It came to be known as ‘Mahabaleshwara’
– the powerful one. Later, someone built another temple, to the one who
responsible for the lingam stuck here – Ganesha. He is called ‘Mahaganapathi’,
and he is shown here in standing posture, a form he is seldom seen in.
Moreover, on his head is a small depression, which is said to be a reminder of
Ravana’s blow. Photography is not allowed inside the temple, so here is a pic
from the internet of Ganesha as he is seen here.

Interestingly, there are 6 temples, all along this
coastline, which show Ganesha in the same form. We had visited these temples on
our tour of Coastal Karnataka in 2008, and have written about them here.

These 5 other temples are located at Idagunji, Anegudde,
Hattiangady, Mangalore and Kasargod, and if you are ever in the area, do go and
visit. Here are some details to help plan your trip:

The temples are open roughly from 6 AM to 12 Noon and again
from 5 PM to 9 PM. The exact time varies from temple to temple, but this should
help you plan ahead.

Idagunji is about 15 Km from Honnavar, 66 Km from Gokarna
and 20 Km from Murdeshwar. This area is known for its Lavancha, or vettiver, and
around the temple are plenty of shops selling the fragrant grass as well as
items made with it. For more information about the temple, visit the temple
website at http://www.idagunjidevaru.com

The temple at Anegudde or Kumbhasi is located at a distance
of 96 Km from Mangalore, 9 Km from Kundapura and 30 Km from Udupi.

Hattiangadi, located just 15 Km from Anegudde, is known not just
for the Ganesha temple, but also for its many other temples as well as Jain
basadis. If you are in the area, do visit these too.

Sharavu Mahaganapathi is located within Mangalore city, and
is quite well known. This is the only one among the 6 temples to house not just
Ganesha, but also his parents, Shiva and Parvati.

The last among the 6 temples is the southernmost one,
located at Madhur, 5 Km from Kasargod, which is now in Kerala.

you are lucky indeed to have been there so many times!!!! every time i go there, I wish i didnt have to come back! and i didnt know about the Shirali temple. will check it out the next time i go there... have u written about it?